The Christopher Nolan-produced “Superman” reboot, due in 2012, finally has a director in the shape of “Watchmen” helmer Zack Snyder. No, we’re not crazy about that either. But with the creative team, also including screenwriter David Goyer, in place, it means that the casting rumors for the film will kick off any day now. Freshly smug from being three-for-three with our “Spider-Man” picks from January (Ok, we figured MJ would be the lead, but still…), we turn our hand to Metropolis.
Clark Kent/Superman
Casting Superman isn’t easy and those who are going to be screaming big stars are off-the-mark (just look at “Spider-Man” for recent proof). Both iterations of the two “Superman” franchises that have hit the screens so far used unknowns. The Richard Donner version in the ‘70s and ‘80s used Christopher Reeve, who was vaguely familiar to some, but wasn’t anywhere near a household name, and the Bryan Singer version in 2006 plucked Brandon Routh out of obscurity and turned him into something of a star (he had done some film and TV work, but was virtually unknown until the moment he was announced). Superman comes with baggage, and the mere presence of the iconic cape and tights is enough to make someone a star, so our guess is they’re probably going to look at relative unknowns as well.
Everyone and their mothers has been flagging Jon Hamm for the role, but we think it’s fairly unlikely — they’re looking to make this into a trilogy, count on it, and at 40, he’s too old. You might as well cast Powers Boothe. Same for 37-year-old Ben Affleck (though he’s not a terrible choice). So our guess is it’s an unknown, or a relatively unknown actor between the ages of 25-35 and looks like he’s somewhere in between. Here’s five relatively “unknown” choices that could be a good starting point:
Matthew Bomer
Why He Could Do It: Something of a fan-favorite for the role, TV veteran Bomer, who appeared in the likes of “Tru Calling” and “Chuck,” and currently toplines the USA Network hit “White Collar,” was picked to play Clark Kent/Superman by Brett Ratner back in 2003, when the director was set to shoot J.J. Abrams’ script, rumored to be called “Superman: Flyby.” That project fell apart in favor of “Superman Returns,” but with Bomer far more well-known than back then, could he pull a Pierce Brosnan and get a second shot at the role? He certainly looks the part, as he proved when he donned the cape in a series of Japanese Toyota adverts last year.
Why He Might Not: Between those ads and the Ratner version, there could be a sense that Bomer comes off as spoiled goods — would Warners really want a guy who first donned the costume in a series of cheap-o car ads? Plus, with “White Collar” being renewed for a third season, and his contract likely to extend beyond that, scheduling may prove difficult. Plus, do we really trust Brett Ratner’s taste enough to want this guy in the role?
Henry Cavill
Why He Could Do It: Now best known for Showtime’s “The Tudors,” the 27-year-old Brit has gained something of a reputation as a perpetual nearly-man in Hollywood. He was linked to the Caped Crusader for “Batman Begins,” he was on the final shortlist of three, alongside Daniel Craig and Sam Worthington, for Bond in “Casino Royale,” and was even Stephanie Meyer’s pick for the sparkly vampire in “Twilight.” Not to mention that, like Bomer, he’s already been cast as Superman once before, in McG’s take on the Abrams script, and was even linked to the role for George Miller’s equally abandoned “Justice League” movie. He’s about to flex his heroic muscles with lead roles in Tarsem’s “Immortals” and in the Bruce Willis thriller “The Cold Light of Day;” could it be third time lucky for Cavill?
Why He Might Not: Aside from the same spoiled goods argument as Bomer, we’re just not sure that Cavill’s… well, any good. He was probably the weakest link on “The Tudors,” and his big-screen roles, in “Stardust” and “Whatever Works,” have been somewhat wooden. We’re sure he’s got a good performance in him, but we’re not sure teaming with Zack Snyder on an FX-heavy feature is the way to do it. Plus, Superman is an iconic American figure in the way that a character like Batman or Wolverine isn’t, and casting a Brit in the role might cause a fan outcry.
Matthew Goode
Why He Could Do It: While Snyder’s generally refrained from re-using actors between his films, the cast of “Watchmen” contains a number of actors who could be strong contenders for the most iconic superhero role of them all. While Billy Crudup and Patrick Wilson may be too old now, 32-year-old Matthew Goode could still be a contender. Probably the best-known actor on this list, he’s turned in some very strong performances in “A Single Man,” “Match Point” and, particularly, Scott Frank’s “The Lookout,” and has an endearing and earnest quality befitting that of The Son of Jor-El.
Why He Might Not: We weren’t particularly thrilled by his performance in “Watchmen” — he took a bigger risk with his character than most of the ensemble, with some interesting moments, but seemed miscast. Would he really be more successful as another Adonis-like figure, one without the moral ambiguities that Goode lends to his best work? Furthermore, Goode seems perhaps a little slight in build to take on the barrel-chested Kryptonian — sure, the personal trainers can do their work, but he still strikes us as not quite having the right look. Plus, as another Brit, so he may meet the same kind of fanboy resistance as Cavill (although, with Nolan in the producer’s chair, this may not be such a problem)
James Wolk
Why He Could Do It: With a script from “The Beaver” writer Kyle Killen, a pilot directed by future “Spider-Man” helmer Marc Webb and the kind of glowing reviews that every TV show prays for, Fox placed con-man drama “Lone Star” as their great white hope for the new TV season. Unfortunately, no one watched it, and it was canceled after two episodes, but critics and the two dozen audience members could agree at least that a star had been born in the shape of lead James Wolk. Plucked from nowhere to top-line the show, the actor turned in a great performance, and should at least be assured that plenty of offers will be coming his way in the future. More importantly for our purposes, he looks rather like a younger Jon Hamm, with the square jaw and all-American appeal that would seem to make him a perfect fit for Superman. He’s only 25, the youngest name on this list, meaning he’d work for the rumored “Superman’s Year Out” logline, and have the longevity for a potential franchise, but he also projects a maturity beyond his years.
Why He Might Not: There aren’t actually a lot of negatives, to be honest; if we were Snyder, Wolk would be the first guy we’d meet with. The biggest hurdle would seem to be the leap between the bigamous, morally conflicted con-man in “Lone Star,” and the defender of truth, justice and the American way. He’s also the least well-known name on the list, which might make the studio a little nervous, but the ability for unknowns to carry superhero movies is well-established at this point.
Anderson Davis/Anyone Off The Street/An Unknown
Why They Could Do It: All Brandon Routh had on his CV before he was cast was a handful of guest appearances on TV shows like “Cold Case” and “Gilmore Girls,” and Christopher Reeve was primarily a theater actor before he was picked. So who’s to say that Snyder and Nolan won’t try the same? There will be hundreds of actors that look the part ready to try out, and it’s entirely possible that one of them could turn out to be a gem, able to embody Superman and his alter ego better than anyone we’ve yet seen? Someone like model Anderson Davis, who came up in our internal discussions as having the right look for the role, could well turn out to have hidden acting talents.
Why They Might Not: Well, the recent history of casting superhero movies suggests that it’ll turn out to be someone whose name at least rings a bell — even if a studio doesn’t go for a household name (and really, the last time they did was Nic Cage in “Ghost Rider” — even Ryan Reynolds has become exponentially more famous since he was cast in “Green Lantern”), they’re more likely to go for an actor on the verge, rather than some hick straight off the bus. But then, maybe a hick straight off the bus is what the role needs?
Because We Know You’re Going To Ask: Brandon Routh
Why They Could Do It: Regardless of what you thought of “Superman Returns,” it’s hard to deny that Bryan Singer triumphed when he cast Brandon Routh as the man in tights. Goofy when he needed to be, heroic when he had to be, the then-unknown was more or less perfect in the role, even if Bryan Singer’s valentine to Richard Donner wasn’t as good as its star deserved. Routh was essentially absent for a few years, but his turn in “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” has brought him back into the limelight, and he’s more than deserving of a second crack at the whip.
Why They Might Not: Look, we thought Routh was great, but it simply isn’t going to happen. Director Zack Snyder’s already said as much, and everyone concerned is going to want a clean break with Singer’s film, particularly as the Nolan/Goyer/Snyder take is likely to be very different from “Superman Returns.” It’s a tough break for Routh, but his career resurgence is on its way as it is, so we’re sure he won’t sweat it too much.
Honorable Mentions: Scott Porter of TV’s “Friday Night Lights” and “Caprica,” is another actor who was once cast in the role — in George Miller’s aborted “Justice League” movie, and might be a contender this time out. Bigger names like Ben Affleck or Jake Gyllenhaal would certainly be possible, but Affleck’s already turned down the director’s chair for the film, and is too old at this point anyway, while Gyllenhaal’s one brush with tentpole FX flicks, “Prince of Persia,” was probably enough to put him, and us, off for life. Sam Worthington’s name is likely to come up somewhere, but we’d be very surprised if he took it, while Joel Edgerton, the thinking man’s Worthington, is probably on the older side of the spectrum, and might suffer from being an Australian. Henry Cavill’s co-star in “Immortals,” Luke Evans (“Tamara Drewe”), has the right square-jawed look, but still somewhat anonymous. John Krasinski was close to landing “Captain America,” but the fanboy outcry there probably put off anyone else from thinking of casting him in a superhero role, while Lee Pace is another plausible name from TV, although he doesn’t quite look right, again being a little skinny for the part. Finally, Armie Hammer’s star is on the rise after “The Social Network,” and has the superhero look down pat (he was going to be Batman in “Justice League”), but we’re not sure he could pull of the Clark Kent side of the character.
Lois Lane
Margot Kidder was an iconic Lois Lane, sure,but, Kate Bosworth proved that practically any actress in a brown wig can step into the role (apologies to Bosworth, but the thinly drawn character was one of the Achilles’ heels of the film). At the same time, Lois has always been a little more independent-minded than the Mary-Jane Watsons of the world, so it needs to be someone with a little backbone. Of course this is all assuming that Nolan and Snyder aren’t going down the “Spider-Man” reboot path, and making the character’s first love, Lana Lang, the female lead…
Rebecca Hall
Why She Could Do It: At this stage, Rebecca Hall has proven she can handle anything thrown her way, from the tragic wife of a stage magician in “The Prestige” to neurotic Woody Allen stand-in in “Vicki Cristina Barcelona.” Nolan’s obviously worked with her before on the former, which could give her a leg up, and she’s at about the right level of fame to consider taking the role — not famous enough that she’s top-lining movies, but well known enough to get enough magazine coverage etc. And with the success of “The Town,” her star’s risen in recent months, and Warners may be keen to continue the relationship from that film.
Why She Might Not: Hall’s specialized in rather thoughtful, introverted characters to date, and Lois Lane’s a much bigger, brasher character than we’re used to from her. That’s not to say she’s not up to the task, but she may not be the filmmakers’ first thought for the role. She’s also perhaps too much of a serious actress to take the role — she tends to jump between prestige pictures, indies and theater work, and hasn’t really taken a strict paycheck role to date. Plus, from his work to date, she doesn’t quite fit the Zack Snyder ideal of womanhood…
Rachel McAdams
Why She Could Do It: Classy and adorable, McAdams has the face of the All-American journalist (although, she is Canadian). In fact, her role as a blogger-turned-reporter in “State of Play” almost felt like an audition for Lois, and the upcoming “Morning Glory” isn’t a world away. She’s got tentpole experience from “Sherlock Holmes,” and can do dame-in-peril with her eyes closed, as she proved in “Red Eye.” She’s a pretty bright star, and should certainly be high on any list for the character.
Why She Might Not: Last time around, McAdams might well have been a contender, but at this stage, she might well be too big a star — she’s able to take even the troubled likes of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” to a decent gross, and we’re expecting “Morning Glory” to be a pretty big sleeper hit this season. Casting her opposite an unknown Clark Kent risks overshadowing the lead, and she may have no desire to take a role that, while spunkier than most superhero love interests, still doesn’t quite compare to filming with Terence Malick.
Lizzy Caplan
Why She Could Do It: If Snyder and Nolan are looking for someone who can capture the look and quick wit of Margo Kidder — the Lois in the Richard Donner movies — they could do a lot worse than looking toward Lizzy Caplan. The actress, best known for roles in “True Blood,” “Party Down” and “Cloverfield,” has more than enough talent for the role, her star’s on the rise (with Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours” on the way, along with her first big-screen lead in “Queens of Country”) and she could provide a distinctive, quirky stamp on the character that would prevent it from turning out like Kate Bosworth’s bland take in “Superman Returns.”
Why She Might Not: Caplan’s currently developing an HBO series with Adam McKay, which may prove to be more tempting, and she’s also quite picky with her roles — pulling out of the CBS show “Mad Love” caused it to be heavily delayed. Plus, she might prove a little too quirky for Snyder & co.
Emily Blunt
Why She Could Do It: Blunt’s star is ever-rising, and she was the first choice for Black Widow in “Iron Man 2,” only being prevented from taking it through a contractual problem with 20th Century Fox. She’s had action and effects experience of late, with “The Wolf Man” and next year’s “Looper,” and would bring glamor, nobility and an impressive range to the part.
Why She Might Not: Somehow, we don’t quite see this one. We adore Blunt as much as the next man, but she specializes in steely-yet-vulnerable: we can see her barely giving Clark Kent the time of day, but we can’t quite see her swooning over Superman. It just doesn’t seem that the role would play to Blunt’s strengths.
Kate Mara
Why She Could Do It: Elder sister of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” star Rooney Mara, Kate’s worked solidly since breaking out in “Brokeback Mountain,” in “Shooter,” “We Are Marshall” and, in particular, her excellent performance in Brad Anderson’s “Transsiberian.” She’s appropriately strong-willed, but with a neat underlying sense of mischief to her, and she’s unlikely to be too expensive or unavailable.
Why She Might Not: For one thing, it could be argued that she resembles Kate Bosworth a little too much. Probably the first time anybody’s ever said that was a bad thing. And if Snyder and Nolan can persuade a bigger name like Blunt or Natalie Portman to consider the role, Mara may seem less appealing. Plus, having appeared briefly in “Iron Man 2,” she’s popped up in a rival superhero franchise, but that’s unlikely to be a problem. Otherwise, she’s a solid choice.
Elizabeth Banks
Why She Could Do It: Having established herself as an invaluable comic presence in “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Role Models” and “30 Rock,” Banks is expanding her dramatic range at the moment with appearances in Paul Haggis’ “The Next Three Days” and “Man On A Ledge.” As such, she’s more than demonstrated the required range for Lois, and would be an appropriately feisty sparring partner for anything that the film could throw at her.
Why She Might Not: Simply, and awfully, the problem here is age. Banks would be perfect opposite a Jon Hamm or a Ben Affleck, but at 36, would seem odd opposite a Cavill or a Wolk. Plus, she cropped up, albeit briefly, in all three of Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” films, which probably won’t help her cause.
Honorable Mentions: Natalie Portman’s name has already been mentioned in connection with the role, and, while it’s unlikely she’ll take it (particularly with a similar role in “Thor” on the way), it’s a good indication of where Warners may be heading. Anne Hathaway’s also a good choice for the part, but probably too A-list for the role at this stage. Michelle Monaghan, like Banks, would be a sterling choice, but perhaps too old, while Jenna Fischer, Linda Cardellini, Kristen Bell and Sophia Bush all came up in our discussions, and could all pull it off easily. Two of our favorite suggestions came from the cast of “Parks and Recreation;” Rashida Jones, who, while not fitting the traditional view of Lois, would smash the part, and Aubrey Plaza, who, if she demonstrates a little more range than she’s been able to date, could be a terrific, albeit offbeat pick. Neither will happen, but we sort of wish they would.
Jimmy Olsen
As the audience surrogate, the Daily Planet investigative reporter/ photographer needs to be played by someone likable who can occasionally tug on our heart strings, and often serve as comic relief, and moral compass. It’s likely to be someone in their early 20s, too.
Jesse Eisenberg
Quirky and self-deprecating, Eisenberg would be a great pick, and one who could certainly benefit from a tentpole role like this one. And, even a year ago, we’d have said he’d be a shoe in. But, having shown new depths to his persona in “The Social Network,” becoming a likely Oscar nominee in the process, we can’t imagine that the sidekick role holds much appeal for the actor at this point.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Again, Gordon-Levitt’s another actor who, a year or two ago, would have been a good pick for Superman’s most loyal pal. But with the one-two punch of “(500) Days of Summer” and “Inception,” he’s graduated to full-on leading man, and despite the pre-existing relationship with Nolan, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell he’d take on a role like this. Batman villain? Maybe. Superman’s sidekick? Not in a million years.
Elijah Wood
Still struggling to escape the shadow of “The Lord of the Rings,” acting’s been on the back burner for Wood of late, preferring to focus on his record label. But if he wanted a third act to his career, there could be few better ways of doing it than with a supporting role like this one. Wood’s still not yet 30 and looks younger, and could be a strong pick: not our first choice, certainly, but how many films get their first choice for everyone? And he couldn’t be as bad as Sam Huntington in “Superman Returns”
Anton Yelchin
Kyle Reese in “Terminator Salvation.” Pavel Chekhov in “Star Trek.” Add Jimmy Olsen to Yelchin’s resume and he officially has the epic genre film hat trick. He’s versatile, quirky, and charismatic — in fact, possibly too charismatic. Plus, the “Star Trek” sequel, scheduled for release close to the “Superman” film, probably makes this one unlikely.
Donald Glover
So yeah, we know there was never any chance of rising comedy star Glover landing “Spider-Man,” but a supporting role like Olsen? Sure. His comic chops are unquestionable, and it’d again signal that this wasn’t a film as rooted in the past as “Superman Returns” — even if the inevitable backlash from racist, mouth-breathing fanboys would need to be weathered. And if not Glover, what about his “Community” co-star Danny Pudi?
Zod
Kneel before Zod? More like kneel before Terence Stamp, who flat out owned the role of the megalomaniacal Kryptonian in Richard Donner’s “Superman 2.” Zod calls for a degree of arrogance and unsympathetic cruelty that challenges Superman’s idealistic integrity.
Tom Hardy
Props to Movieline for picking Hardy out as a contender — it’s a great call. Hardy’s role in “Inception” woke mainstream moviegoers up to what we’ve known for a while; Hardy’s a force to be reckoned with. He could pull off an eccentric, menacing Zod with his eyes closed: the only question is, could he go from playing “Mad Max” to the villain in another tentpole. Will his schedule even allow it? “Fury Road” is meant to be filming for most of next year.
Ralph Fiennes
Voldemort, anyone? Fiennes carries himself with the regal quality necessary for the role of Zod: one that also needs a mix of dignity, elitism and lunacy. We all know that Fiennes can play a villain in his sleep — the main problem being, as anyone who saw “Clash of the Titans” will attest to, that he may well have been asleep when he shot that one. Probably a solid pick, but there are more imaginative ones out there.
Karl Urban
Potentially the most intense of our choices, Urban’s pulled off some solid villainy — his assassin in “The Bourne Supremacy” could be a good model for Zod. But Urban could be too intense, and weigh the character down — Zod’s nature is that of a man whose anger resides under the surface, with a sort of incredulity at those who would dare question him. He’s also gone campy, as in the upcoming “Priest,” which certainly isn’t the route we’d want either. More importantly, Urban is franchised up to the eyeballs at this point, with “Star Trek 2” and, potentially, sequels to next year’s “Dredd” in the pipeline.
Jude Law
Once reportedly cast as Superman against Colin Farrell’s Caped Crusader in Wolfgang Petersen’s “Batman Vs. Superman” (perhaps one of the dumbest projects ever to start development) Law, now a decade older, seems rather more suited to Zod. He’s got the action chops, as “Repo Men” and “Sherlock Holmes” have proved recently, and could certainly have fun with the role, but we suspect that he has projects he’d find more interesting.
Jason Isaacs
Another perennial bad guy, Isaacs has turned in some truly diabolical villains in the likes of “The Patriot,” “Peter Pan,” “Harry Potter” and, most recently, “Green Zone,” without ever feeling as overexposed as a Gary Oldman or a Mark Strong. Capable of flamboyance and malevolence in the same breath, he’d be a welcome Zod.
Perry White
Usually known as the epitome of a balanced editor with integrity, White isn’t afraid to call out his staffers but also knows when to draw the line. Snyder could go many ways with White’s story, choosing to make him a father figure to Clark Kent or a glory hungry mogul who threatens to expose the identity of Superman. It would be intriguing to see if Snyder uses The Daily Planet as an allegory for media corruption in the ever-degrading subculture of journalism. As that wouldn’t involve robot dragons fighting Nazi gladiators in slow motion, we suspect not.
Chris Cooper
Despite his 2003 Oscar win for “Adaptation,” Cooper is still perennially underrated, but he’d be a fascinating choice for Clark & Lois’s editor, and a good way to distinguish the character from J.K. Simmon’s unforgettable J. Jonah Jameson in “Spider-Man” — one of the problems that Frank Langella suffered from in “Superman Returns.” Whether he’d have any interest is another matter — he’s taken a handful of paycheck roles, but not many.
Dustin Hoffman
Ok, bear with us. While his reputation as a Method actor still persists, Hoffman’s entered a more easygoing phase of his career, and he’s more likely to take a role like this than ever before. Richard Donner used White as comic relief, and Hoffman would keep it dry, but undoubtedly bring a kind of manic, acerbic wit.
Hugh Laurie
Laurie was originally cast as White in “Superman Returns,” but had to drop out due to his commitments to “House.” With that show currently entering what feels like its 500th season, maybe the time’s come for Laurie to take another stab — his withering put-downs from that show could be perfect for the character. But the same scheduling conflicts may be an issue, and again, Snyder and Nolan may want to make a break from Singer’s vision.
John Slattery
With everyone keen that Jon Hamm take on the role, it got us thinking: what about Roger Sterling as newspaper editor? Slattery’s got a strong look for the character, and his scene-stealing turn in “Iron Man 2” demonstrated he can hold his own among the effects. Unfortunately, that role may put him out of contention here, due to the old Marvel/DC divide.
Frank Langella
While Langella wasn’t perfect in “Superman Returns,” we’d blame the film’s overall vision for that one, rather than anything else; the actor was heaps of fun in the part. Gaining an Oscar nomination in the meantime, he’s only gotten more prestigious in the intervening years. But again, the chances of any continuity between the two films are slim-to-none. — Adam Sweeney & Oliver Lyttelton
